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A man blamed for the nation's deadliest structure fire in more than 14 years at the so-called Ghost Ship warehouse in California appeared briefly in court Thursday to face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Jodi Hernandez reports. (Published Thursday, June 8, 2017)

A man blamed for the nation's deadliest structure fire in more than 14 years at the so-called Ghost Ship warehouse in California appeared briefly in court Thursday to face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Derick Almena, 47, was scheduled to enter a plea in Alameda County Superior Court, but his attorney asked for the arraignment to be scheduled later. Almena was ordered back to court June 15 when his co-defendant in the case is expected to make his first appearance before a judge.

Almena and Max Harris, 27, were arrested Monday after a six-month investigation by prosecutors. The two are charged with illegally converting an Oakland warehouse into housing for artists and a cluttered party space, which caught fire the night of Dec. 2 during an electronic music concert and killed 36 people.

Almena leased the building in November 2013, and Harris is accused of helping Almena sublet space to promoters and tenants.

13 Civilians, 5 Suspects Dead in Separate Events in Spain

A white van jumped the sidewalk in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas district on Aug. 17, 2017. Police say 13 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in this terrorist attack. The area is one of the city’s top tourist destinations. Later, police shot and killed five terror suspects in Cambrils, Spain, in a separate incident.

(Published 28 minutes ago)

The warehouse was not licensed for housing or entertainment. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley charged Almena with cluttering the space with highly flammable material and failing to provide adequate fire safety systems to tenants and visitors.

Investigators say the maze-like interior had only one exit that night, and it was difficult to find when the lights went out.

Almena's attorney, Jeffrey Krasnoff, says his client plans to fight the charges and called him a "scapegoat." Krasnoff says Almena's arrest ``doesn't help the public good'' and distracts from the San Francisco Bay Area's affordable housing crisis.